In some hazardous environments, it is necessary to prevent fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between a sealing gland and the penetrant portion of one or more insulated wires passing through the gland. The need for this was recently documented in a report by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board. This report (hereinafter the “Report”) is available at http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/pipe/2000/p00h0061/p00h0061.pdf. The Synopsis of this report reads as follows:                “At approximately 1724 on 28 Dec. 2000, a release of natural gas resulted in an explosion that destroyed the electrical and services building, highly damaged the compressor building, and damaged the remaining buildings at the East Hereford compressor station (Kilometre Post 217, 094) on line 300 of Gazoduc TQM Inc. Before the occurrence, the station had been shut down since approximately 1004 due an unintentional manual initiation of the station's emergency shutdown system. Following the emergency shutdown of the compressor station, a maintenance person was sent to the station to reinitiate the electric motor-driven compressor unit. During the day, after repeatedly trying to get the station into the ready state mode to return the station to normal pipeline operations, an explosion occurred. The onsite maintenance person was seriously injured.” (Report at i).        
The report concluded that the cause of the explosion was at least partially attributable to the propagation of natural gas along the electrical wires between the electrical conductors and the surrounding insulation. More particularly, that report attributed failure to:                “The failure to properly install sealing compounds and the failure to skin off the innerjacket of the cables to expose the conductors inside the sealing chamber in two electrical fittings affixed to the electrical TJB for the compressor unit provided an open channel for the free flow of natural gas through two electrical Teck cables between the explosion proof-rated compressor building and the non-explosion proof-rated electrical and services building (ESB); that was not in conformity with requirements of Canadian Electrical Code (CEC 22.1).” (Id. at 29)        
Thus, this report heralds the need to provide sealing glands that will prevent fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between and along the gland and the penetrant portion of an insulated wire passing therethrough, and between and along the conductor and surrounding insulation of the penetrant portion of the wire.
Other types of sealing glands have contemplated the use of compound sealants, such as epoxies and potting compounds. However, these are subject to cracking and incorrect installation. Moreover, these types of compound sealants may, under certain circumstances, allow the migration of explosive gases through and along stranded conductors.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved sealing gland that is suitable for use in a hazardous environment for preventing fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between and along the gland and the penetrant portion of one or more insulated wires passes therethrough, and between and along the conductor and surrounding insulation of the penetrant portion of the wire.